Our Deal
by imlaughingnow
Summary: Andre was the white, solid keys; his notes strong and pure. Jade was corrupt, she was bitter; she was his accent. She complimented him. /\ Jade couldn't hit all the notes by herself, but with Andre's hand over hers, somehow, she managed. Jandre, Bade


**Disclaimer: If I could own the salad Tori's always eating, maybe I'd stand a chance of owning the show but I don't so…**

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><p><strong>(.x.)<strong>

When Beck first left for Canada, Jade sat on a table by herself in the Asphalt Café . Tori had offered to sit with her but after the first two insults and the vicious glare she had opted to sit with Cat and Robbie (and Rex) instead. Andre was making a beeline for Tori's table, a smile sneaking across his face. He didn't know why he was smiling exactly but, it was Tori, a person couldn't help but smile when she was around. With her he felt like he had stepped into a Disney movie, except he wasn't the lead. Tori, sure, but Andre was always a secondary character. Always second place. It seemed like everything he did was always hidden behind someone else, behind something else. He would've gone over there too, if he hadn't noticed her. But Andre was always noticing her. Jade was like a shadow, she was always with them but when the sun went down or Beck left for Canada, she disappeared. Andre wouldn't say she became a hermit or something because she was Jade; she didn't need any guy to be herself. What she needed was coffee and more butterflies for her collection.

Yeah, he knew about the butterflies.

So, he shrugged his shoulders when Tori shot him a curious look and sank down next to his shadow. He could never seem to get rid of her (not that he tried to or anything) but Jade was a permanent fixture in his life. Like the Evanesce poster had in his bedroom, he never really liked it and he never really saw it much because it was behind his door, hidden under numerous scarves and jackets he had acquired over the years but he still knew it was there. It wasn't like he could throw it away either, Jade had given it to him when he had turned twelve. Throwing away the poster would be like ripping out an entire chapter in to Book of Jade and Andre. It wasn't that large, and there weren't many chapters in it either but things like that could change over time.

She arched her eyebrow and he supposed he should have explained his actions, but he shrugged off his bag instead and shifted in his seat. He felt her studying him, his movements, but he ignored her.

"Need something, Jade?"

"Yes, how about some distance between our bodies." Her scowl disappeared as Andre chocked on his fries.

"You should really learn to rephrase you sentences."

"Shut up." He shrugged and ignored the flush that spread across her face because it was Jade. She was Jade and he was Andre. They knew each other, better than they would like to admit. With them it was all about pretending. Pretending he didn't see the vast of empty in her eyes when Beck wasn't around. Pretending she didn't know why he was sitting with her. Pretendpretendpretend.

"Why is Beck always leaving for Cana-" He never got to finish his sentence though, because Jade had anticipated the question, grabbed her bag and stalked away before he had a chance to swallow. Still, he didn't move. He sat and ate his fries in silence, wondering if this was the second place feeling pushing itself through the cracks again.

"_I could catch them for you if you want."_

"_That's impossible."_

"_Not it's not, if we wanted to, we could catch every butterfly in the world and bring them to your house."_

"_I'm only seven."_

"_You're never _only_ something; you're Jade."_

/\

The second time Beck left (for Canada, not Jade) he found her in the Black Box Theatre. She was fingering the keys on the grand piano but she wasn't pushing them all the way down. She just slid her long, thin fingers over the white keys. Was it weird that he was comparing them to the keys itself? Sure, physically Jade was pale like the creamy white of the keys and to some people, he himself could be classified as dark as the black keys but he wasn't that superficial. They were opposites. Andre was the white, solid keys; his notes strong and pure. Jade was corrupt, she was bitter; she was his accent. Jade complimented Andre. In a friendly way, of course. Any other feelings would just be inappropriate seeing as her boyfriend was his best friend. But being honest, Jade was his. He knew her first, he introduced them, he was there when Jade told him she was officially Beck's.

Andre shuffled his way up to the brunette and dropped his bag next to the leg of the piano. She glared up at him for interrupting her peace and when he motioned for her to scoot over, she didn't move so he sat on the edge of the stool and spread his legs open, forcing her to move. They never spoke; it was like they could read each other's moods. Andre could feel Jade; her intensity, her very being. When she was upset, he felt her fading and he supposed that scared him a bit. She would retreat inside of herself so much that he wouldn't be able to detect her. Maybe she could feel him too, maybe she couldn't; it didn't really matter to him and perhaps that was what made this entire scenario a little upsetting.

He didn't love her- well, he did, but strictly in a platonic way (of course) but it was the fact that she meant more to him than he did to her that upset him. Or maybe it was how as soon as Beck came into the picture he found himself there again; second place. Almost crossing the finish line but, you know, Beck was ahead of him once more. He didn't try to vie for her attention or anything but, sometimes it was nice when she shot him an arched eyebrow (because she didn't smile at him anymore). When she gave him a (strictly platonic) hug he sometimes squeezed her too tightly. When she pulled back, he could see it there lingering in her eyes; nostalgia. Making him force a bitter smile because it just reinforced everything. He was the past, Beck was the future.

When they were ten he had tried to teach her the piano but she never had the patience. She preferred to cut him off and burst into song. She complained that her fingers could never stretch that far. He would roll his eyes playfully but he never once stopped her from belting out those notes. He had never really liked music before, but she had a way of influencing his every move. It never occurred to him that without Jade, he might not have applied for Hollywood Arts at all.

So, in the Black Box Theatre, Andre wrapped one arm around her waist and couldn't help but smile as she leaned into him. And when she moved her hands over the keys, his right hand accompanied her in some sort of sick accompaniment. The sound wasn't sweet, it wasn't bitter, it was just…something. The type of harmonious sound that would make him halt in the middle of the deserted hallway, drop his books and stick his head into the Black Box Theatre furtively to get a better listen. It wasn't normal but it was certainly worth listening to.

It snuck a smile on his face, and maybe if he could see her face, he would see that Jade was smiling too, but he couldn't so it went unnoticed.

"_My hands can't stretch far enough."_

"_They can, Jade. Just try."_

"_I did! It only works when your hand is over mine. Look, I'll show you."_

"_Okay, you're right. Your fingers can only hit all the notes when I help you. I guess our hands miss each other."_

"_You're so stupid."_

_/\_

The third time Beck left for Canada, Jade seemed used to it. As if the first two times were practice for this one; the real deal. She felt something, anger, annoyance, pain, hurt, melancholy but despite the overwhelming emotions it wasn't enough. So she overcompensated by being particularly nasty to Tori, by throwing her lunch on Robbie and ripping off Rex's arm (again). Andre opened his mouth to speak but she hissed about needing solitude and stalked away.

"Man, she really needs Beck around." Tori commented at the dark figure storming across the Asphalt Café.

"She doesn't need anyone. She's Jade!" Cat always had this notion in her mind that Jade was Superwoman ever since Jade stopped the older kids from bullying Cat in her third month at Hollywood Arts. Cat reminded Andre of himself, she always found herself smiling a little too widely at Jade, looking for her approval. He didn't know what it was with the brunette. He didn't know how she attracted so many towards her- well, actually he did. And it annoyed him that Cat was yet another person he'd have to compete with for Jade's attention.

The matter was dropped until he waited for her in the Black Box Theatre. He knew this was her refuge (but she never showed) so he left.

She often liked to turn off the lights and sit in the centre of the stage, legs crossed and eyes wide open. She didn't cry (anymore), she was Jade West. Instead she would try and think about Beck. Beck who was always leaving her for Canada. Beck who she could never tie down. Beck who smiled at other girls and loosened his grip around her waist when he did. Beck who chided her like he was scolding a little sister. Beck who made her heart ache so much she would blink furiously and wish he was standing in front of her, just so she could scream at him.

She was late today and bustled through the doors during fifth period. She was supposed to be in class with the rest of them but she wasn't. The empty seat next to her was too much of a reminder of how much Beck could easily disappear in Canada. Cat's wide smile and Andre's reassuring looks across Improv class were too much so she faked sick and got the hell out. When she made her way to the stage, she found a yellow post-it stuck to the floor- on _her_ spot. She would have scoffed and marred it with a brown combat boot if she didn't recognize that scrawl. She scowled and let out a puff of air, throwing her books and her messenger bag on the floor. She prolonged picking up the post-it as long as she could but her fingernails got boring faster than she liked to admit. "So, this is our new meeting place now?"

She rolled her eyes and ripped the note to pieces. Andre Harris was just too fucking nice, for her liking. _Rip._ Maybe when she was younger and needed someone to take advantage of, it was fun, but now it was just annoying. _Rip_. Why was he always so sincere? _Rip._ Why was he everywhere when Beck was gone? _Rip._ Why did he let her skip him in the Grub Truck line? _Rip._ Why didn't he argue when she stuck her hand inside her back pocket when she was out of lunch money? _Ripriprip_

They weren't children anymore. She didn't need him following her around, smothering her in his…sweetness. There really wasn't any other way to describe it. He argued with her. Sure, she argued with Beck, but arguing with Andre riled her up more than she admitted. He was always trying to make her be…nice. When she wanted to ditch class, when they were younger, he would always argue with her. Always fight down her bad habits and try to curb her. Granted, that was what Beck tried to do but Beck was hardly ever successful. Andre made her do things she never would usually do. Andre was a positive influence. It was disgusting. He was like, almost a female Vega. Spreading love and cherries wherever he went. Maybe if Tori didn't have her eyes set on Beck, she would've snatched up Andre into her greedy little hands but she didn't.

A smirk worked its way across her features; Tori couldn't have everything, could she?. Beck was hers, Andre was hers and so was Cat. She could keep Robbie and Rex; nobody really wanted them anyway. And maybe it did make her feel better about Beck always jumping ship and heading for stupid Canada. She still had Andre and Cat. They were hers. They were like her butterflies; she could encase them and hang them on her fucking bedroom wall if she wanted to. Why? Because they belonged to her.

"_Okay, Jade. It's your turn for show and tell."_

"_For show and tell, I brought my friend Andre Harris."_

"_Jade, dear, Andre isn't a thing. Andre's a person."_

"_Andre's mine, Miss Geraldine."_

_/\_

The fourth time Beck left for Canada, Jade should have known. She should have known he wasn't coming back. All those trips before; he was just moving his shit back. Beck was moving back to Canada. He chose to tell her the week before he left. Like, what the fuck? Really Beck? A week? Seven days? One hundred and sixty-eight hours? Ten thousand and eighty minutes? Six hundred and four thousand, eight hundred seconds? Did he think that was enough fucking time?

"What the hell Beck? You're leaving on Sunday?"

"I did this so we could cherish the time we had left, Jade. So we could be together without worrying about time running out."

"Beck, you were off in Canada for most of this year. We basically had no time together."

"Don't be like this…"

"So you're blaming this on me? I'm not allowed to get upset when I find out my fucking boyfriend is moving to Canada and didn't tell me."

"I thought it would be the best for us."

"This relationship works both ways. You don't get to make decisions like that without my permission!"

"Your permission? I need permission to do things now?"

That was the last time they really spoke to each other. Their last week together, was their first week as Beck Oliver and Jade West. Separated by a conjunction. The first week Beck found himself ignoring all the others girls and staring at Jade as she sat at another table. With Andre. His eyes burned with jealousy and Tori must have sensed it because she stopped talking and whipped her hair in Robbie's face to get a good look at the pair. She didn't know what to do, exactly. Beck and Jade were both her friends and really, Beck was the one in the wrong here but she couldn't leave him too, could she? Andre, his best friend, had already made it clear that he was siding with Jade. Cat, who never liked confrontation much, was working on a Special Effects project (but it was pretty obvious she sided with Jade). Tori just couldn't leave him here, looking like such a pathetic puppy, could she?

She didn't have feelings for him anymore. Not when she found out her competition was Jade West. Not when Beck was just using her to rile up Jade to get her jealous. Not when Andre was around; but he wasn't around much anymore, was he?

"Since when do Andre and Jade spend so much time together?" She should have known the timing was off but Beck scowled and snatched his bag and left she didn't regret asking. Still, he just….left.

"They've known each other since they were kids. Andre was the one who introduced Beck and Jade." Robbie spoke up when Beck was gone.

"Oh," Because Tori honestly thought she was the glue that bound them together. She didn't have rights here; this was Jade's territory. This was all Jade's territory. With a lurch of the stomach, Tori dropped her fork and blinked. Sitting with Robbie and Rex at lunch really made her see how much she had managed to lose and gain since she entered Hollywood Arts.

So, she got the leads of a couple of plays but in the end, Jade was the one with the loving boyfriend (even if he was leaving her), Jade was the one with the loving friends while all Tori had was a handful of scripts and lines she needed to learn.

/\

"Hey Jade. Beck's leaving for Canada today, isn't he?"

They were in the Black Box Theatre (when were they not?). Everyone had learned to not question their disappearance. Tori would eat her salad in silence and Cat would chatter away. Beck was gone. He left. The only ones who got to say goodbye were Tori and Robbie. Cat gave him a quick goodbye hug, while Jade and Andre were too busy disappearing into the Black Box Theatre to meet up at Beck's RV. It was there Beck had pulled Tori aside when they were alone and whispered furiously, even though they were alone. He pulled her close and whispered in the dark; her heart went thumpthumpthump and her mind was thinking _"maybe, just maybe…."_

"_Tori, make sure you look after Jade for me, okay?"_

"_Beck, I'm pretty sure Jade can look after herself. Plus, she wouldn't want me looking after her anyway."_

"_Can you give this to her, Tori? Please?" _

An envelope; and inside was a letter? A picture? Tori didn't know. What she did know, was that she kept it at the bottom of her underwear drawer. She never opened it herself. Maybe she was afraid of a broken Jade again; the same broken Jade who came crying at her doorstep with the kite. Maybe she was afraid of what those words would do to Jade. Or maybe she just wanted to tear them apart even further. Maybe she wanted to take something away from Jade, like she had done with Andre and Cat. But, you know, they were never hers to begin with. They were all J A D E's. So when Andre and Jade didn't show up for lunch again, she sighed heavily and played with her food while the envelope danced behind her closed eye lids and sang _"look what you've won Tori!"_

"So what if he is?"

"It's okay to cry, Jade."

"Who says I'm going to cry?"

Beck was gonegonegone and Andre had won. By default. But, you know, if the prize was Jade, winning by default wasn't so bad after all.

They were sitting in front of the piano. Her words were muffled as she spoke into his shirt. She could feel his chest vibrating as he spoke. He could feel her tears seeping through his grey shirt. She would sniffle softly and he would pretend not to hear it. She would dig her nails into his arm and he would pretend they didn't hurt. Her body would rack with the force of her tears and he would kiss her sweetly on her forehead. She would run her fingers over the piano keys and he would run his fingers through her hair. She would play with his shirt and he would play with the buttons on her hers.

She would avoid his gaze and he would tilt her head so they maintained eye contact. She would bend her head to hide her tears and he would wipe them away. She would scream and curse and he would hold her tighter, humming to calm her down. She pretended not to hear his heart hammering the fuck out of his chest and he pretended that his breathing wasn't sharp and labored. She pretended he didn't smell like cinnamon and he pretended she didn't smell like spiced apples. Together they pretended that cinnamon and spiced apples didn't go well together.

When she slid her hands over the keys, he stopped her movements; his own heavy hands over her delicate ones. Jade couldn't hit all the notes by herself, but with Andre's hand over hers, somehow, she managed.

**(.x.)**

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><p><strong>Compared to all the other Jandre fics out there this was pretty low quality &amp; rushed. I'm going to use the "it's my first Jandre fic" excuse because I can. Yeah, you're surprised this is Jandre? Well I'm surprised at so many things in this fic…I don't even know what happened. I started shipping Jandre because of Aloxi a long time ago &amp; finally decided to give it a try. I don't know what she has done to me. <strong>

**Dear Bade fans, worry not. I shall always ship Bade but Jade Gets Crushed and 365 Days just got me reaaally excited. Dan better not screw up this episode. Also, please excuse any typos dear.**

**As for Tori, she's just being insecure about her real place in Hollywood Arts. She's being human. And if I can't give her realistic characteristics without someone saying I'm bashing her then I'm just never going to write her in anymore of my fics. JK. I'll just ignore yah. :)**

**Sorry this was so sloppily done. -_-**


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